


Everybody wants to be a cat

by Glitter_Latte (cats_and_coffee)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Mild Gore, Secret Santa, Were-Creatures, Werecats, animal death mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 03:35:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17195750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cats_and_coffee/pseuds/Glitter_Latte
Summary: The werecat family Mcclain thinks there is another werecreature in the area and it's Lance's turn to go on patrol.Secret Santa for Bluevelvt on tumblr





	Everybody wants to be a cat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bluevelvt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluevelvt/gifts).



Normally his family didn’t even bother with checking out their territory, but they had been finding weird signs of another one of their kind in the area, like a dead rabbit torn apart in town, and decided to try patrolling for a while. Though his siblings had gone the nights before, Lance still dragged his feet getting out the door. Only when his mom bribed him with a sandwich to take with did he actually leave. Taking to the sidewalk with a mouthful of food the night didn’t seem like it was going to be that bad.

However, once the food was gone, he tucked his hands in his pockets, immediately regretting this. “What kind of idiot would wander into this territory anyway…” He grumbled. In a world with many different types of werecreatures he had to wonder how many would willingly travel from the places they were familiar with. If it was a dangerous one would he even be able to run away?

A prickling crossed his skin at the imagined threat, burning in his fingers as he felt his nails lengthen. If he was in full cat form he was positive he would be bristling, and his tail in full poof. Course a werecat stalking the streets wouldn’t be exactly appreciated, even if it would make him feel more safe. He had to wonder how Marco and Veronica felt when they had gone the nights before. They seemed fine in the morning. 

Maybe what they found was just evidence of a wild animal in the area, and that this was all for nothing. His mind fluttered between the most boring possibilities to anxious ones of being attacked by rogue werewolves to fill the time as he went down the sidewalk, jumping at every odd sound. Almost an hour in he started to smell something strange. 

He didn’t have the best sense of smell, but even he could recognize canned tuna. Creeping as quietly as he could he followed the scent on and off for another three blocks as he came upon an area just off of the public playground, tucked against a small thicket of trees. Downwind of the scene he caught the darting shadows of a few of the feral cats in the area that he hadn’t seen at home in a while that they had presumed gone, along with a more human form among them. Lance started shifting, feeling the soft pops of his joints as they prepared for a new form, and the subtle itching on his skin for the thickening coat of fur to cover him. His ears were the worst part though, as they stretched and changed he could only hear ringing. If the person he snuck up on realized he was there and warned him, there was no chance of Lance hearing it.

He was close, 5 yards or so, when his hearing cleared, and he could see the twitch of another feline like ear on the stranger in the dark, who turned to look at him. With the light of the streetlamps behind Lance he could see the shine of their eyes before they took off. “Come back here!” Lance growled, charging after him, barely glancing at the scattered cans of tuna that the guy had been sharing with the strays. 

The man darted into the trees and started dodging around them with ease. Lance had a little more trouble, using the trees more as launch pads as he collided into them. While the stranger had been more agile getting around the woods, Lance caught up with him very quickly as they entered a clearing and started running towards a more residential area. Which made it even more important that they not got caught. “Alright pal, you’re gonna have to stop right here!” Lance grappled him, only to find himself being tossed like a ragdoll. Used to some rough housing Lance bounced back, rolling with the fall coming up to stand tall facing the guy. 

The stranger was now more visible, half changed as Lance was, but instead of Lance’s cooper fur the guy looked more like a russian blue with the dark coat that was barely lighter than the black head of hair that his ears sprouted out of. “Look, I’m sure we can talk about why you’re here trespassing, but you got to talk to me.” He was banking of this guy being a werecat like him with a coat like that. It would’ve been harder if there were tiger stripes, or cheetah spots, as big cat werecats weren’t as friendly. But much like ferals and strays most housecat werecats could see the benefit of working and living alongside one another. 

“I’m just passing through.” The words came out gruff, like the guy hadn’t been using his voice in a while. Looking at the rough condition his clothes were in, Lance suddenly had a feeling that he might be close with that observation. 

“Okay, then how about coming and meeting my dad, he can at least tell you who else has territory around here. Not everyone is as forgiving about hunting in their territory like we were with those rabbits… did you share those with the cats too?” The question tumbled out of his mouth before he could really understand where his thoughts were going. 

It hadn’t been pretty when people found it, but they had chalked it up to a fluke, some dog getting loose. It was his sister-in-law Lisa who felt that something was off with some bloody footsteps nearby. That people thought was just someone stumbling upon the carnage. But they knew differently, and now the guy was standing before Lance. While the guy was still crouched as if ready for an attack with his ears flattened, the hostility was gone out of his face. Looking more weary and frightened.

“I mean… we do feed the neighborhood cats at our place, so it’s not like they’re starving but… were you also taking care of them?” Lance asked softly. Watching as the guy nodded, slowly relaxing. “Even if you don’t talk to my dad about the others in the area, do you want to see the other cats?”

The guy perked up at this, if only for a moment.

“Then you know you don’t have to share with them. Plus it might be cool to see the others, right?” Lance hoped he’d take him up on it. Smiling as the guy stood up, relaxing.

“Sure, I guess.”

“Alright, but I think we need to - umm… make ourselves a little more comfortable?” Lance motioned towards their cat like ears. Only to get the guy to tilt his head quizzically.

“I am comfortable?” 

“I mean we should look more human.” Lance snapped, feeling his exhaustion wearing on him. But the guy seem to get it as his more tan skin tone peeked out more and more as the fur subsided. It took a moment for them to both shift back to fully human. Even more for Lance to remember what they were doing, since he was staring at the guy. He had a pretty face, and he held himself with such ease that Lance had a hard time denying the pull he felt towards him. Though he was suddenly missing the ears as Keith’s human face gave nothing away of his thoughts as he watched Lance back. Plus they distracted from the haircut, that mullet could not possibly be by choice. 

“So… are you going to show me the other cats?” 

“Well duh! I was just wondering if you were done changing.” Lance turned and started leading the charge. Though he realized it would be a long walk back. He kept glancing back, half expecting the guy to have ditched him, but was surprised to find him following. Glancing at the houses occasionally, as if something caught his attention, but mostly he kept his eyes forward.

Eventually Lance started to go slower, trying to walk alongside him, “I’m Lance by the way.”

“Hey.” 

Lance waited a bit, his frown deepening, “-and your name is?”

“Keith.” 

They traveled a little longer in silence with Lance speeding on ahead a little as he glowered, wondering why it was so difficult to get the guy to just talk. But eventually he felt calm enough to try again. “So you’re just passing through?”

“Yep.”

“Cool cool, are you heading anywhere in particular? Or running away from something?” 

“Neither.”

“Okay, then what are you doing?”

Keith looked at him confusedly, “just… passing… through?”

Lance huffed as he hurried on ahead again, he didn’t try to talk to this Keith anymore as he led the way. It felt like it took too long before his home came into view. The house stood tall and proud, with a decent expansion of land behind it. They were building their own little farm. “The cats are around back, we feed them near the shed. I’ll be right there.” Lance waved in its general direction and left Keith to figure it out as he went inside. His mom and dad sat at the table sipping coffee. 

“How’d it go?” His mom was all smiles.

“Well, it’s a werecat, his name is Keith, and he’s in the backyard. I think.” Lance passed by them and poured his own cup of coffee, wondering why he was in such a bad mood himself. It’s not like he wanted to know more about the pretty werecat he brought home. 

“He’s in the backyard?” Both of his parents were up in a flash and heading out the back door, leaving Lance to meander behind them, watching as they looked around confused. “Where?”

“He was gonna go look at where we feed the strays.” Lance started walking towards the shed, he could already hear Keith’s voice, though it was very quiet and soft, and surprisingly pleasant to listen to. So much that he was only mildly surprised at the amount of cats that were paying attention to Keith when Lance spotted him sitting on the ground next to the area Lance had directed him. He was more surprised at the warm smile Keith had on his face as he was petting a cat with ease hand, and talking to them. Lance almost dropped his cup as he took in the angelic expression. 

“Ah! So you’re the new stray in the area.” Lance’s mom approached Keith, introducing herself, startling Keith, and breaking whatever spell Lance was falling under. Keith introduced himself, with a surprising amount of politeness. Even introducing himself to Lance’s father. “Are you going to be staying in the area long?”

“No I was just-”

“-passing through. We know.” Lance interrupted Keith bitterly, only to be shot a look by his mom that most certainly increased the bitterness in his coffee as he drank it. 

“Yes.” Keith nodded, seemingly unphased by what Lance said.

“Well, even boys traveling around need to rest a bit. Why not come inside and sleep out of the cold. I think we might have some spare clothes that you can wear while we run yours through the wash.” While it sounded like an invitation, his mom was already ushering Keith inside. 

His father approached Lance as soon as his mom and Keith disappeared into the house. “So do you think he’s dangerous?”

“Nah, annoying, but not dangerous.”

“Annoying?” His dad looked confused, opening up the floodgates as Lance groaned loudly. 

“I mean, he doesn’t talk much, he doesn’t seem to understand simple flows of conversation. He’s so pretty and yet there’s absolutely no expression to read. It’s like trying to talk to a brick! He was so quick at moving around obstacles, I’ll give him that, but he has nothing on me in speed. Between his conversational skills and how quickly I caught him, I’m surprised he has lived this long.”

“You think he’s pretty?” Lance’s dad teased, completely laughing off the rest of Lance’s little rant. Leaving his son sputtering indignation as he went inside to see if his wife and Keith needed anything.

Lance fumed outside a while longer before he went in, allowing the screen door to bang a little when his mom hushed him. She shoved blankets in his arms as she took his coffee cup away. “Looks like your guest was more tired than we thought, as soon as he changed and laid down he was fast asleep. Go put some blankets on him while I take his clothes down to the laundry room.” She left him with his argument dying on his lips. 

Keith was curled up on the sofa in the living room in a pair of Lance’s old pajamas. It was hard to deny the heat that bloomed across his cheeks as he marveled at the guy. There were hints of the angelic face he saw before in the innocent expression Keith had as he slept. There was an exhaustion in his form that made him wonder how long the guy was going to sleep. Lance shook out the blanket and started laying it across him when suddenly Keith grabbed his arm, sitting up, his eyes wide and dilated into slits as a partial shift started coming over him. “Woah woah woah there Keith! It’s just me your pal! Lance. Remember?” Lance held his hands up, letting the blanket drop part way onto Keith’s hip. 

“Lance? Oh.” He let go of Lance’s arm, pulling himself into a small ball. “Sorry about that. Guess I’m not used to…” He let the statement trail, though Lance had a feeling Keith himself didn’t know how to finish that statement.

“It’s alright, you’re safe here. So, can I assume that you’re be okay with putting the blankets on yourself now?” Lance stepped back, ready to leave Keith there when he heard Keith’s soft voice whisper.

“Hey, you have a lot of family living here?”

“Just a few members, mostly they live in their own houses, but they stay in the guest rooms when there are things going on.”

“Can you tell me about them?” Keith asked. Scooting down to one side of the sofa, making space for Lance to sit. He started talking about his mom and dad, going into his siblings and some of the memories they shared, but he didn’t get too far when he felt the weight of Keith leaning into him and heard the soft rumbling of Keith’s breathing as he slept. Lance carefully shifted trying slip out from underneath him. However as Keith started to slip forward he reached out grabbing onto Lance’s shirt. Lance froze wondering if Keith was going to panic again, instead the hand shook a little. Carefully Lance started stroking Keith’s hair whispering soothing words, and felt him slowly relax. However, Lance didn’t try to pull away again, settling for making himself comfortable on the sofa. Besides it’s not all that uncommon for certain werecreatures to have cuddle piles, right? At least that’s what Lance told himself as he wrapped a protective arm around Keith as he drifted to sleep.


End file.
